The Health Technician (Telemetry) serves as a member of the Patient Care Service at the Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, NC. The Health Technician provides continuous cardiac surveillance, interpretation and reporting of monitor and telemetry tracing of patients within the Patient Care Service and assists the Nursing Staff to assure coordinated and efficient delivery of patient care services.

Duties

Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Telemetry Tasks: Performs continuous monitoring and analysis of cardiac rate, rhythm, and patterns of conduction on telemetry patients through the use of approved telemetry monitoring system. Detects abnormal or changing rate, rhythm, or pattern of conduction directly from oscilloscopic rhythm display, from computer triggered alarms, or from EKG records on computer memory. Monitor non-invasive blood pressure and continuous pulse oximetry (SP02) alarm events. Promptly validates/invalidates alarm conditions. Establishes and maintains morphologically suitable and noise free EKG signal. Detects need for lead changes by observing accuracy of computer diagnosis and noting clarity of EKG signal at Remote Telemetry Monitoring Unit (RTSU). Preserves an analyzed six second strip every 8 hours and as needed for rhythm changes and files in approved notification binder. Labels rhythm strip with the patient's name, lead, PR, QRS, QT, and RR intervals and rhythm interpretation. Monitor patients in lead II or lead I unless specified. Notifies appropriate personnel of minor/major/life threatening cardiac rhythm disturbance. Sets alarm limits per policy. Admit/discharge patient in electronic health record. Documents, on admission to telemetry, an analyzed baseline rhythm strip. Marks monitors with patient's location when they are temporarily taken off the monitor (ie, medical procedures). Gives verbal reports to nursing staff regarding patient EKG rhythm. Completes hand-off communication to oncoming Monitoring Technician (MT). Runs a continuous strip on a telemetry patient during identified emergency. Keeps an accurate log of all cardiac arrhythmias on the notification sheet and electronic patient recording system. Ensures high quality information and visual display of patient's tracing. Promptly reports signal interference to RN. Reports inoperable telemetry equipment to the Nurse Manager/designee and Biomedical Engineering Department immediately. Precepts and mentors' new staff. Technician Duties: Performs or assists RN with personal care such as body and oral hygiene, dressing/undressing, and toileting/elimination ensuring patient privacy at all times. Monitor one to one observation patients. Answers call lights and communicates patients' needs to assigned RN or Charge Nurse. Under the direction of assigned RN or provider, feed patients and records intake for calorie counts. Assists with meal set-up and/or feeds patients as needed. Provides bath if indicated. Performs or assists RN with search and inventory of patient belongings. Change linen on occupied and unoccupied bed. The incumbent will be required to assist RN in patient care as directed to include, but not limited to, dressing changes, triage, turning and positioning of patients, enema administration, postmortem care and morgue transfers. Measures and records vital signs in Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) vital signs package and notifies assigned RN or provider, such as temperature (oral and rectal), pulse, respirations, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, pain level, vital signs, weights, intake and output, bladder scans. Measures and empties urine output from urinary catheters and notifies RN or provider. Collects and sends routine urine, stool, and sputum specimens. Obtains nasal cultures for MRSA upon admissions, discharges and transfers. Performs glucometer checks and notifies assigned RN or provider of results. Documents results. Assists with turning and properly positioning patients, transfers and ambulation of patients. Obtains and immediately delivers blood products from blood bank to assigned RN. Assists with incentive spirometer, cough and deep breathing exercises. Cleans vacated rooms of patients (i.e., strips linens, discards used or opened medical supplies, wipes down non-critical reusable medical equipment (RME) per guidelines, bedside tables, and counter surfaces. Makes up clean stretchers with fully opened sheet and pillow with slip. Notifies Charge Nurse immediately if unsecured medications are found anywhere in the department. Takes note if supplies are running low and notifies Charge Nurse. Procures and stocks all supplies and equipment necessary in the Patient Care Service Line units. Work Schedule: 8 Hour, Day/Evening/Night Rotating Shift with weekends Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Telemetry)/PD06820A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/03/2023. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. To qualify you must possess the following Specialized Experience: For the GS-06 grade level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-05), that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the Health Technician (Telemetry) position. Specialized Experience includes but not limited to: Knowledge of cardiac anatomy and physiology including conduction system; Basic knowledge of medical terminology in order to communicate effectively with other medical personnel; In-depth knowledge of a wide range of cardiac arrhythmias and their effect on patients including atrial, ventricular, junctional dysrhythmias, normal sinus, idioventricular, agonal rhythm, ST, T wave, and P wave abnormalities, pacer malfunctions; Knowledge of the telemetry equipment, including transmitters, central monitoring station, running strips, validating and invalidating alarms, setting alarms, printers, troubleshooting and Knowledge of the assigned area's functions, priorities, commitments, polices and program goals. Physical Requirements: Requires considerable walking, bending, standing, lifting, and handling of equipment and supplies. Requires dexterity in performing technical procedures. Proper body mechanics is utilized at all times. Incumbent is required to have the physical ability to manipulate patient while they are in bed. Incumbent will perform such tasks as weighing patients on bed scales and recording required documentation in the CPRS vital sign package. Incumbent will assist RN with turning and positioning of patients. Will utilize appropriate Safe Patient Handling (SPH) equipment while performing these duties. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Contacts

• Address Durham VA Medical Center 508 Fulton Street Durham, NC 27705 US
• Name: Keyanna Davis
• Phone: 000-000-0000
• Email: [email protected]